Improved velocipede



`To all whom it may conce/Mt:

wat site" .at ai CHARLES SPRING, on HYDE PARK, AND` ANDREW SPRING, orA

u WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No.9(),03/1,A dated May 11, 1869.

IMPROVED VELOCIPEDE.

The Schedulereferred to in these Letters Patent and making pmt of the same. v

Be it known that we, CHARLES SPRING, of `Hyde Park, Norfolk county, and ANDREW SPRING, ot'Weston, Middlesex county, all in the State of Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Velocipedcs; andwe do hereby declare that the following, taken in` connectionv with the drawings which accompany and form part of this st ieciiication, is a'desciiption of our invention sucient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

The new mania for riding velocipodes has developed almost "numberless changes and improvements upon `the old form of three-wheelersand the French two-Wheelers. l l

Our improvement consists inthe employment as rear. wheels of two drag orfollower-wheels, the axle of each of which is hung in bearings placed out of vertical line with the vertical shaft bywhich the bearing-frameis pivoted to the carriage, so that whenthe leader-wheelV is turned in either direction by the rider, (to change the course of the vehicle,) by means of a vertical axis 4in vertical line with the centre of the wheel, each follower-wheel is self-adjusting in the same direction, and

. i A in certain details 'hereinafter stated.

` ject from a boss, h, over the wheels, from which boss rises the vertical shaft t', which, passing through a quill or vertical bearing, It, has at itstop two arms, l, which `support handles, m, by means of which the vertical axis of the wheel may be turned to, turn the course of the machine.' I

At` each end of the axle e is a crank, n, upo'n which is'supported aistirrup-frame, o, which carries a series of swivelling foot-pieces, 11,'upon either of which/the foot of the rider may bear in propelling the vehicle.

Each stirrup-frame or bar, o, is jointed at top to a crank, q, of a crank-shaft, fr, running through the vertical shaft i, each crank, q, being in `position to be grasped by the hand of the'rider, lso that the hands, as well as the feet, may be made use of to turn the driver or propelling-wheel c, each crank, q,-being preferably providedwith a loose sleeve for the grasp of the band.

Passing downthrough theshaft fi, is a rod, t, at the foot of which is a brake, u. The rod is raised and depressed by an eccentric,`fv, fixed on the shaft w, which carries the handles m, the eccentric acting upon a slotted piece, `x,at the top. of the rod, and enabling the rider, bya turnof the hand-grasps'm, to instantly stop the wheel.

The top of the wheel under the perch is covered by Va shield, z, which extends partially around the wheel,

and has a lange,.fy, projecting over the side of the wheel, adjacent tothe periphery. This shield` is for the purpose of protecting the clothes of the rider from contact with that part of the edge of the wheel near which the legs come.

The rear end of the perch rests upon the cross-bar a2, in the opposite ends of which are journalled the short shaft bz of the bearing-frames c", in whichare journalled the axles d, upon whichv are fixed the two trailing-wheels d,

Each bearing-frame is so formed that the axis upou'j or with which its wheel rotates is not in a vertical line with the axis or shaft upon which the bearing-frame turns, the e'ect of which is to cause the wheel to readily turn as the leader-wheel turns, thereby saving the wheel from strain and rendering it easier to propel the velocipede.

Upon each shaft, b2, is fixed a wheel or disk-plate,

f?, between whose top surface and a plate, g2, lixed to thecross-bar a, are friction or turn-table rolls, h2, whose gudgeons'turn in bearingpieces,'i2, projecting from the plates g2. l A

Each/plate, f2, bears against the rolls, and as the trailing-wheels turn in changing their direction, the

stress comes upon the plates f2 g2, and not upon the short shafts b2, the trailing-wheels also rotating with much less friction than if the rolls were notemployed, and being kept steady in their movements.

Both follower-wheels incline to turn in the same di rection in changing the course of the vehicle, .but as". either one may meet obstructions, we connect the two wheels f2, so that the turning of one gives mot-ion toA the other. As the wheels will not rotate equally, however, in turning short curves, this connection is not made positive.

The connection shown is made by a band, k2, running around `the two wheels, in a groove in each, instead of which'the two pulley-wheels fl may be made `of greater diameter, and 'a horizontal wheel play between them on a shaft projecting from the bar a, this mid-wheel having an elastic periphery that shall press against each wheel, f2, to turn it or be turned by it.

A velocipede thus made has material advantages over any of those now in use,not only o n account of the greater ease with which it may be propelled, but also by reason of the facility with which its direction mayabe changed, either in reversing its movements or in turning.

1. In `combination with the leader-wheel, the two follower or trailing-wheels, the axis of each of which is hung'in bearings placed out of vertical line with the shaft by whichA thewheel-frame is connected to the carriage-frame.

2. Also, in combination with eachfoilower-wheel,

the platesf2 g2 and friction-rolls h2, substantially as shown and described. v i

3. Also, follower or trailing-wheels, arrangedas described, and connected bya band or yequivalent mechanism, substantially as described. CHARLES SPRING.

ANDREW SPRING. Witnesses: I

J. B. CROSBY, FRANCIS GoULn. 

